Division of headings and text
Heading levels
Isolated headings
Length of headings
Informative wording
Parallel structure and content
What are the heading hierarchies?
Isolated headings
Length of headings
How does using parallel structure and content help with writing headings?
Read this description of a well-structured set of headings:
This description applies to:
Correct! When you see headings set out like this, it becomes obvious that you need to create a plan for your headings before you start. Heading set 1 follows the rules and is logical, whereas Heading set 2 breaks the rules and would send the reader on a ‘chase’ to work out what the writer means. So, take a couple of minutes to work out a consistent plan for using headings and apply it to all of your essays.
In general, you are expected to use headings correctly so that your writing is clear, and it is obvious that you have answered the set question. There are rules to help you to do this.
Click on the links to see more details and examples.
BEFORE YOU START YOUR ESSAY, HAVE A CLEAR AND LOGICAL HEADING HIERARCHY.
Work out a system of headings that you can use with all of your essays. Headings should be graded at levels to show a clear order of importance (e.g. level 1 – most important; level 2 – next important and so on). You will mainly use one to three levels of headings in your essay, depending on the length of your assignment. For example, most 2000 word essays may only require 3-5 level 1 headings (i.e. a level 1 heading every 2-3 pages). Remember that the aim of using headings is to keep your reader on track. Too many headings and too many levels creates confusion.
When you design a heading system, show the relative importance of headings with the type size, position (e.g. centred or left justified), using boldface, underlining or capital letters. You can follow a recommended pattern or make up your own system—so long as it is clear and consistent. Example: Level 1: CAPITALS , bold, 14pt, centred, space below Level 2: Lowercase , bold, 12pt, left justified, space below Level 3: Lowercase , italics, 12pt, left justified, no space below
USE HEADINGS FOR SECTIONS IN YOUR DOCUMENT (NOT FOR EACH PARAGRAPH).
The key to working out your essay sections is to work from your question analysis. Consider the following question:
Many lecturers now approve of the use of headings in academic essays. Consider whether the benefits outweigh the problems for the writers and markers. Identify and discuss the key rules for using headings appropriately in academic essays. (2000 words)
Example of a heading plan for this question:
Level 1 headings INTRODUCTION BENEFITS OF USING HEADINGS PROBLEMS WITH USING HEADINGS RULES TO GUIDE HEADING USAGE CONCLUSION
Level 2 headings (example from one section) The heading RULES TO GUIDE HEADING USAGE could have the following level 2 headings:
Heading hierarchies (3 paragraphs)
Effective wording of headings (2 paragraphs)
Effective wording of headings
WHEN YOU DESIGN YOUR HEADINGS SYSTEM, MAKE SURE THAT THE WORDING IS CONSISTENT.
Use three basic principles to word your headings:
For example:
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW AND APPLY PUNCTUATION RULES TO YOUR HEADINGS.
Headings can be single words or short phrases and DO NOT require a full stop unless you have used a question as a heading—a question mark is then required. The use of capital letters may follow either of the following approaches provided that you are consistent:
INTRODUCE THE TOPIC OF YOUR HEADING IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH FOLLOWING YOUR HEADING.
When you place a heading in the text, it is a signpost for a section of writing. You need to begin the following paragraph with a sentence that introduces the reader to the heading topic and then announce what will be coming in that section in the essay—just as you do in the essay introduction. A heading is not part of the text of your paragraph, so you should not refer to it with a pronoun reference (e.g. this, these, that).
This means that the wording of the heading matches the information of the following section. Do not make the heading part of the first sentence.
Incorrect | Correct |
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There is much to learn from what is NOT wanted. Following are some of the common mistakes made in the use of headings in formal written work:
Click on the links to see more details.
Designing a good headings system is also very helpful for setting up a plan for writing as you can quickly see whether you have included and balanced all of the parts of a question. Make sure your headings match the information you signal in the outline statement of your introduction paragraph.
A consistent structure is a big thing when writing an academic essay or paper. The framework for writing an academic paper encompasses using headings and subheadings to divide the content into manageable chunks or sections.
When writing longer essays and research papers (10 pages and above), breaking the test into different but related sections might be helpful to avoid unnecessary strained transition sentences.
The headings are the first thing the readers look at when reading the essay. They are akin to the headlines in a magazine or webpage. Subheadings are the additional subtopics or headings immediately after the main title or header. Headings are meant to grab the readers' attention, but the subheadings make them draw the readers deeper into the topic.
A subheading is a mini-headline given to a section or paragraph within the main text. They are often smaller than the main heading but larger than the paragraph text.
While headings can be used in most academic papers of different lengths (even those less than ten pages), subheadings are reserved for shorter sections within a larger section. If you have a paper with just three main points and the first point has three subpoints, you can use subheadings to organize the subpoints under the main point.
When used in an essay, research paper, or other longer papers, the headings and subheadings should be formatted such that they are distinguishable from the contents of your text.
Let's dig deeper and see how to make headings and subheadings in an essay.
Headings and subheadings capture the readers' attention, making it easier to sell your ideas to those who skim through written pieces first to determine whether it is worth their time.
Using headings and subheadings helps organize your thoughts. They enable readers to focus on the critical aspects of the essay or research paper. In an essay or research paper, each subheading is considered a mini-essay with thoughts limited to a specific element or perspective of the topic.
Using headings and subheadings informs your readers about where they are in the paper. Also, these subheadings act as signposts or directions that orient the readers to your thoughts in the paper.
The subheadings ensure that your thoughts are structured and that you remain focused on the topic within a limited area. For instance, if you are writing a mental health essay or research paper, you can have a subheading dealing with risk factors and another dealing with the impacts of stigma on mental health.
Subheadings also make the research process easier because you can organize your research around them. This way, you can approach your research systematically and limit its scope. You can then scrutinize and organize the scholarly resources rather than focus on the entire research pile.
Having subheadings in essays or research papers makes writing the paper easier. You can plan, draft, and polish each essay section independently. Doing so helps you to write the paper with ease. Consequently, you can fight off writer's block by putting points of argument under each subheading and organizing it later when you are psyched up to write.
In research writing, it is imperative to have a refined heading and subheading. We discussed how to do this when we wrote about titling an essay and other academic papers. However, certain features make a subheading or a heading stand out. A good subheading can be many things, but let's sample some of the outstanding features it must have. Here are some aspects that make an excellent subheading and heading:
If you are like many students who wonder about how to integrate subheadings into an essay, this section clarifies everything. First, however, there are some crucial tips that you need to consider.
Remember, a subheading expands your heading and comes after the latter. While both hook the audience by grabbing their attention, the subheading enables your readers to delve deeper into the topic. Subheadings are used to divide an otherwise large chunk of paper into sections or chapters.
Subheadings are primarily written in sentence cases and should never be in capital letters. Therefore, you should capitalize the first letter of the subheading of your essay. This is unlike the heading in the title case, meaning that all the major words (nouns, adverbs, pronouns, and adjectives) and words with four or more letters have their first words capitalized. Subheadings subordinate the higher levels. To make a good subheading, here are the tips.
A good essay subheading should be easy to read. Precisely, it should take a few seconds to read. Our experts recommend keeping the subheading between 4 to 10 words, the standard length of subheadings in academic writing. Ensure as well that it fits a single line. If your subheading runs over, it will be ambiguous and might alter the structure of your essay or paper.
You only have a few words to impress your readers. Therefore, only bring in the most crucial information you want to use to bait your readers. Avoid examining every aspect and focus on one aspect of the topic. As long as you have aroused the reader's curiosity to explore your essay, that's it!
When you use headings and subheadings in an essay or academic paper, ensure that each maintains the same level. You should not skip subheading levels. And if the first subheading is the only subheading, you are better off eliminating it and maintaining the heading. An excellent strategy to maintain this consistency is planning your essay, which you can do by creating an outline .
APA or MLA format does not allow you to label headings and subheadings with numbers or letters. However, there are some instances, such as when writing a dissertation or thesis, where you will most likely be required to use multilevel numbering for the headings and subheadings. Therefore, when you number the headings and subheadings, ensure that it is in a consistent format that you can later use when referring to them elsewhere, for instance, in a table of contents. Microsoft Word automates the process of numbering by choosing the heading styles.
A good subheading should coax the readers to read the text. It should give them an appetite to devour your paper. And it should be persuasive because it does the work of signposting the ideas to expect in a subsection.
When writing the subheadings, ensure they each add new information to your text to avoid repetitive subheadings. It would be wise to ensure that each subheading addresses a unique aspect of the topic instead of echoing the previous subheadings discussed. As you edit your paper, guarantee that the subheadings progress and add new and relevant information to engage the readers.
Although tempting, avoid using corny words, jokes, and puns in your subheadings. You should not use contractions as well. Introducing these aspects can make your subheadings and headings ambiguous, deterring the readers from reading the content.
As you write the subheadings, ensure that they are relevant to the content of your essay. Eliminate any irrelevant subheadings in your essay. Think about the vital information you must include and how you need to format it into a separate section. The strategy helps write subheadings that address your essay's real issues. The subheadings should also give the readers a clue of what to expect to grab their attention further.
When writing the subheadings, you should include relevant keywords and phrases that attract the readers' attention. In addition, the keywords and phrases should be related to your topic and thesis statement.
If you are writing an academic paper (research paper or essay), ensure that your subheadings and headings are formatted per the citation and formatting styles. Later in this article, we look at how to format subheadings and headings in MLA and APA, which are the most common styles. You can also acquaint yourself with other academic writing styles such as Chicago, Vancouver, Oxford, Bluebook, or Harvard.
If you intend to write an A essay, consider reading our guide on writing first-class essays to integrate other factors that professors look for when assigning higher grades for essays.
Related Read:
In APA formatting and citation style, headings are used in essays and research papers to separate and classify paper sections. The headings are meant to guide the readers through the document. Headings and subheadings are organized in subordination levels, with each section of the paper starting with the highest heading level.
You can organize headings into five different levels in APA. However, it would help if you used the headings in order beginning from level 1, regardless of the number of heading levels.
Below is how to organize the levels:
You can use at least two subheadings in APA or non at all. If there is just one subheading, the top-level heading is enough, so do away with it.
When writing a paper in APA , the first paragraph is automatically understood as the introduction. Therefore, there is no need to start with the heading "introduction." The paper's title, which is centered and bolded, becomes the de facto level 1 heading. If your introduction has subsections, you can use headings within the introduction beginning with level 2 headings for the first level subsection, level 3 for the subsections of level 2 headings, and so on. After writing the introduction, use the level 1 heading for the following main section of the paper. Headings should be descriptive and concise. They should be well-formatted and clearly worded for visual and content appeal.
When writing headings and subheadings in APA, here are a few things to keep in mind:
MLA headings and subheadings enhance a paper's coherence, soundness, and quality. Using the hierarchy of 5 heading levels in APA should be easier now that we have explained everything.
MLA headings are sometimes confused with the header. While the MLA heading is found on the first page and serves the purpose of identifying information, the header is the identifier located on top of every document page.
Using section headings in MLA help improve the readability of the document. Students are mainly not required to use headings when writing essays and papers.
Unlike APA, MLA allows the use of font styling to differentiate the levels of the subheadings. However, the styling of the subheadings should be consistent so that the readers can follow the structure of the essay or paper.
Every subheading should appear in the same size, format, and style for easier identification as one reads your text. The subheadings in MLA papers or essays should flush to the left margin to avoid confusing them with block quotes. Avoid online one level for the internal levels. For instance, if you have a level between 1 and 5, you should ensure that there is more than one instance. If you have one level 2 subheading, ensure that you also have a second level 2 subheading. Above all, every heading and subheading must have content or text beneath them. The content should support the thesis statement of your paper.
Related reading:
Ensure you use the correct subheading level to help you navigate through your essay or paper. It also helps to know what to be added to the automatic table of contents. Use the subheadings as illustrated below:
Take some time and watch this video by Dr. Andy Jonson illustrates how to use headings and subheadings in academic writing.
Below are some sample questions, expert answers, and recommendations for essay subheadings and headings.
Although shorter essays are written in continuous, flowing, and paragraphed texts and do not need subheadings, longer essays are carefully structured using headings and subheadings.
An essay or research paper can have headings and subheadings (subtopics) if it is long enough to accommodate different sections. Nevertheless, when writing the headings and subheadings, they should be relevant and consistent with the topic and contribute to the overarching goal of the essay or research paper (the thesis statement). A good length for a heading or subheading should be ten words or less. While standard essays do not use subheadings, they assuredly improve the structure of extended essays.
Subheadings subordinate the headings (the title of the essay). They should be persuasive, descriptive, and conversational. They should elaborate on what is in the headline and capture the importance of the topic. Maintain consistency when writing them.
For short papers, no. However, you can include sub-sections for longer papers with appropriate headings and subheadings. For instance, when writing a proposal, dissertation, or thesis, you can have sections and subsections for the problem statement, background information, research questions, hypothesis, aims/objectives, and paper overview.
You should not include subheadings in the concluding paragraphs of an essay unless for more extended research papers.
No, section headings and subheadings must not be phrased as questions in MLA, APA, or Harvard formatting styles.
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Paragraph begins here, on the line after the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. | |
Paragraph begins here, on the line after the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. | |
Paragraph begins here, on the line after the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. | |
Paragraph begins here, on the same line as the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. | |
Paragraph begins here, on the same line as the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. |
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This resource will introduce the use of headings in academic writing, including how to use headings correctly and what value they add to your writing.
Headings are signposts that help you structure longer pieces of writing and allow the reader easily navigate their way around a document. The type of headings used will depend on the format of your writing: for example, a case study will have different headings to a report. Make sure that:
It is best to take a couple of minutes to work out a plan for your headings before you start.
Graded levels.
It is common for headings to be graded at levels to communicate a logical structure. Usually it is advisable to use a maximum of three levels, depending on the length of the document. Don’t forget that the aim of using headings is to make it easy for the reader to easily find their way around a written document – using too many headings and levels can create confusion.
Levels are created with the use of font type, font size, position, capital letters, boldface and underlining. You can follow a given pattern or make up your own system so long as it is consistent.
Level 1: CAPITALS , bold, 14pt, centered, space below Level 2: Lowercase , bold, 12pt, left justified, space below Level 3: Lowercase , italics, 12pt, left justified, no space below
The headings used in this resource are a good example of levelling without the use of numbers; however, in longer documents such as reports or theses, numbering is extremely important to assist the reader in keeping track of what section of the document they are reading.
Headings should be used to identify a section; they are not to be used for each paragraph. Your analysis of the question will be key to working out your sections and headings.
Question: what are the competitive drivers involved in a differentiation strategy?
1. COMPETITIVE DRIVERS 1.1 Differentiation strategy and current operations Definition of a differentiation strategy Describe the difference of the theory in the previous heading to what is happening in your industry/business 1.2. New strategies Provide the marker with what your group deems a profitable strategy 1.3. Justification Provide reasons for this new strategy and offer evidence of your decision
You should try to introduce the topic of your heading in the first paragraph following your heading. This will announce to the reader what will be coming up in that section. Remember that a heading does not speak for itself: the text following a heading should always restate and reinforce the main idea of that section, as in the example below.
Headings are usually single words or short phrases without a full stop. The wording, style and punctuation need to be consistent when designing a heading system, especially the use of capital letters. This can be achieved by following these three rules:
To follow a parallel structure, you need to follow a grammatically consistent pattern for each heading level throughout the document.
With capitalization, you have a choice of maximal or minimal capitalization.
Editex 2016, ‘ What are headings and why are they important? ’, webpage, Edittex , viewed 19 October 2016, .
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Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
APA Style uses a unique headings system to separate and classify paper sections. Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document. The levels are organized by levels of subordination, and each section of the paper should start with the highest level of heading. There are 5 heading levels in APA. Regardless of the number of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with level 1. The format of each level is illustrated below:
| |
|
|
1 |
Text starts a new paragraph. |
2 |
Text starts a new paragraph. |
3 |
Text starts a new paragraph. |
4 | Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph. |
5 | Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph. |
Thus, if the article has four sections, some of which have subsections and some of which don’t, use headings depending on the level of subordination. Section headings receive level one format. Subsections receive level two format. Subsections of subsections receive level three format. For example:
Method (Level 1)
Site of Study (Level 2)
Participant Population (Level 2)
Teachers (Level 3)
Students (Level 3)
Results (Level 1)
Spatial Ability (Level 2)
Test One (Level 3)
Teachers With Experience. (Level 4)
Teachers in Training. (Level 4)
Teaching Assistants . (Level 5)
Test Two (Level 3)
Kinesthetic Ability (Level 2)
In APA Style, the Introduction section never gets a heading and headings are not indicated by letters or numbers. For subsections in the beginning of a paper (introduction section), the first level of subsection will use Level 2 headings — the title of the paper counts as the Level 1 heading. Levels of headings will depend upon the length and organization of your paper. Regardless, always begin with level one headings and proceed to level two, etc.
Special headings called section labels are used for certain sections of a paper which always start on a new page.
These labels should be positioned on their own line at the top of the page where the section starts, in bold and centered.
APA also allows for seriation in the body text to help authors organize and present key ideas. For lists where a specific order or numbered procedure is necessary, use an Arabic numeral directly followed by a period, such as:
On the basis of four generations of usability testing on the Purdue OWL, the Purdue OWL Usability Team recommended the following:
Numbered lists should contain full sentences or paragraphs rather than phrases. The first word after each number should be capitalized, as well as the first word in any following sentence; each sentence should end with a period or other punctuation.
For lists that do not communicate hierarchical order or chronology, use bullets:
In general, participants found the user-centered OWL mock up to be easier to use. What follows are samples of participants' responses:
Authors may also use seriation for paragraph length text.
For seriation within sentences, authors may use letters:
On the basis of research conducted by the usability team, OWL staff have completed (a) the OWL site map; (b) integrating graphics with text on the OWL homepage; (c) search boxes on all OWL pages except the orange OWL resources (that is pending; we do have a search page); (d) moving the navigation bar to the left side of pages on all OWL resources except in the orange area (that is pending); (e) piloting the first phase of the three-tiered navigation system, as illustrated in the new Engagement section.
Authors may also separate points with bullet lists:
On the basis of the research conducted by the usability team, OWL staff have completed
If your bulleted list is part of the sentence and is not preceded by a colon, treat the bullets like a part of the sentence, adhering to standard capitalization and punctuation. This option is helpful for complex or longer bulleted sentences that may be more difficult to read without the aid of punctuation. For items in a bulleted list that are phrases rather than sentences, no punctuation is necessary.
The deadline for your latest writing assignment is mere minutes away. You’re rushing to get the final details together and suddenly realize you’ve forgotten a title. You quickly throw something random on top of the page and submit it to your teacher.
You’re not satisfied with your title, but you vow to do better next time. And you will!
You’ve learned from your mistake: essay titles are not a last-minute detail. They’re an integral part of any piece of written work and should be planned out earlier on in the writing process.
Titles lead to your reader’s first impression of your essay, and the headings help organize your thoughts and make the essay easier to read. Let’s take a look at how you can turn your titles from an afterthought into a well-thought-out writing element.
People DO judge a book by its cover, and they will judge your essay by its title. So writing a strong title is an important part of starting your writing off on the right foot.
Your essay title has two main functions:
Additionally, keep in mind these three pointers:
Vague titles do not inform the reader. Provide a specific description of what your focus will be. Your audience wants to know precisely what they will be reading.
Bad Example: Oceans
Good Example: Disappearing Ocean Life in the Pacific Rim
If your title is boring, readers will not want to keep reading. Offer them something that will get attention.
Bad Example: How Consumers are Wrongly Spending Money
Good Example: The Seven Million Dollar Mistake
Everyone may be writing a college admissions essay, but don’t title yours: My College Admissions Essay . No matter what the prompt, make your title something that stands out from the stack.
Bad Example: My Research Project
Good Example: Relocating the Human Race to Mars
Essay headers are often overlooked by writers, but they can really help your readers as they journey through your essay. While the title may get the reader hooked, the headers keep them moving smoothly through your paper. They enhance readability and help explain what is most relevant in the essay.
Each essay header should answer these two questions:
When readers approach a new section of your essay, they will have a better reading experience if they have a small preview of what’s to come.
Writing a useful header should be relatively easy. Read through your paragraphs and see what the main idea of is. From here, make a list of sub-topics that are discussed in each section. The best way to do this is to pull from the main points you listed out in your outline (which you, of course, remembered to do!).
Remember the following details about writing a header:
You don’t want to give away all of your ideas here, but you need to give some guiding information.
Bad Example: Eating Too Many Fatty Foods Can Increase Your Cholesterol Levels
Good Example: How Your Diet Affects Your Health
Choose a pattern and stick with it throughout the entirety of the assignment. If you start off by having a heading for each paragraph, keep it that way until the end. Also, make sure the format remains the same. If your first heading is in the form of a question, all of the rest should be as well.
Bad Example: Beaches, What is Up With Littering?, I Want to Clean Up the Planet
Good Example: Neglected Beaches, Effects of Litter, Motivated Activists
Just like when you are writing a title, there are generic headings you can lean on to get it done quick and easy. But don’t use these. Your conclusion shouldn’t have the header, "Conclusion." Come up with something unique for each part of your essay to keep your reader from feeling fatigued as they read on.
Bad Example: Conclusion
Good Example: Will the Pandas Survive?
Your essay should be scannable. This means that if someone needs information fast, they can find it without having to read every word of your piece.
Although titles and headers are often neglected, they are very important to your pieces of writing. They grab your reader’s attention from the start and keep them focused throughout the rest of your essay. Taking the time to craft great titles and headers can advance your writing to the next level.
Don’t overlook the title and section headers when putting together your next writing assignment. Follow these pointers for keeping your writing organized and effective.
Need a topic for your upcoming argumentative essay? We've got 100 helpful prompts to help you get kickstarted on your next writing assignment.
Your personal statement is arguably the most important part of your college application. Follow these guidelines for an exceptional admissions essay.
HEADINGS should not be confused with HEADERS. Headers include the page number and your abbreviated title that run along the top margin of each page of your paper (abbreviated title may or may not be used--check with your instructor).
Headings divide the body of your paper up into smaller, more manageable sections for your reader. Headings are usually only necessary for longer papers--confirm with your instructor if they want you to use headings. Although there are 5 levels of headings, you might only need to use 2 or 3 levels, depending on length and especially complexity of the paper.
Some instructors might provide specific headings for you to use--always follow your instructor's directions (even if it conflicts with what APA requires).
Visit the APA Style website for more detailed instructions on using headings, and/or the APA Style Manual, p. 47-49.
Level | Format |
Level 1 |
The body of your paragraph begins on the next line and is indented by half an inch. |
Level 2 |
The body of your paragraph begins on the next line and is indented by half an inch. |
Level 3 |
The body of your paragraph begins on the next line and is indented by half an inch. |
Level 4 | Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph. |
Level 5 | . Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph. |
Heading level templates for student and professional papers.
Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document. There are five levels of headings in APA. Always use the headings in order, beginning with level 1. Only use as may headings as are needed to differentiate between sections of a paper. Headings are not necessary if your paper doesn't have separate sections.
See more guidance below.
Level | Format |
---|---|
1 | Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading Text begins as a new paragraph. |
2 | Flush Left, Bold, Title Case Heading Text begins as a new paragraph. |
3 |
Text begins as a new paragraph. |
4 | Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period. Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph. |
5 | Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph |
Note. In title case, most words are capitalized.
Chapter 7 of the APA manual provides guidance about creating tables and figures. Please consult the manual or the abbreviated guidance located on the APA Style website.
Table and figures can be presented either in the text of the paper or after the reference list on separate pages.
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Published January 22, 2021. Updated February 15, 2023.
If you have a longer paper, you may want to divide it into sections and subsections to make it easier to read. Each section and subsection will need a heading, or what Chicago style calls a “subheading” or “subhead.” This guide helps you to format these headings and gives some tips and guidelines for using sections and subsections in your paper.
Because The Chicago Manual of Style is intended more for those pursuing publication, its guidelines are more flexible as most publishers have their own in-house styles. This guide uses the guidelines and standards from the 9th edition of Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations . This guide is intended more for students and is still Chicago style.
Here’s what you’ll find on this page:
How should you format subheadings in chicago style.
For help writing your essay, research paper , or other project, check out these writing tips .
If your paper is longer, you may find it helpful to divide it into clear sections. Each section can have its own title or heading, and Chicago calls these section titles “subheadings” or “subheads.”
Sections can be further divided into sections, and the subheadings for these sections are the second level of subheadings. You can continue to divide sections, creating further levels of subheadings.
In a typical paper, you will probably only want to use two or three levels of subheadings. Otherwise, the subheadings may end up being more distracting than helpful and detract from the reading experience.
It is important to be consistent in your formatting of subheadings in Chicago style. You can easily do this by creating styles for each subheading level in your word-processing program. There is a fair amount of flexibility in the actual formatting of the headings in Chicago style. The main thing is to make sure you are consistent.
You’ll also want to make sure you do not end a subheading with a period unless it is a run-in subheading. You should put one or two blank lines before each subheading and one line (or one double-spaced line) after each subheading. Never end a page of your paper with a subheading—you should make sure the subheading is not separated from the first paragraph of the section.
Turabian gives a number of formatting possibilities for levels of subheadings (see Appendix A for more specific details). Here is one possible set of options for five levels of subheadings that Turabian recommends:
First level: Center your text, use headline-style capitalization, and place the text either in italics or bold.
Second level: Center your text, use headline-style capitalization.
Third level: Left align your text, use headline-style capitalization, and place the text in either italics or bold.
Fourth level: Left align your text, use sentence-style capitalization.
Fifth level: Run your subheading in at the beginning of the paragraph, place the text in italics or bold, use sentence-style capitalization, and end the subheading with a period.
Here’s how the five levels of subheadings might look in practice:
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018.
Chicago Style : Annotated bibliography | Abstract | Block Quote | Headings | Outline | Page Numbers | Title page
Citing sources : In-text citations | Bibliography | Reference list | Footnotes | Citing Multiple Authors | Citing Sources with No Authors
Chicago Style Citation Generator : Article | Book | Image | Interview | Journal | Movie | PDF | Textbook | Website | YouTube
The start of the semester is the perfect time to learn how to create and format APA Style student papers. This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections of a student paper: the title page, the text, tables and figures, and the reference list. Finally, it concludes by describing how to organize student papers and ways to improve their quality and presentation.
The guidelines for student paper setup are described and shown using annotated diagrams in the Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3.40MB) and the A Step-by-Step Guide to APA Style Student Papers webinar . Chapter 1 of the Concise Guide to APA Style and Chapter 2 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association describe the elements, format, and organization for student papers. Tables and figures are covered in Chapter 7 of both books. Information on paper format and tables and figures and a full sample student paper are also available on the APA Style website.
The guidelines for basic setup apply to the entire paper. Perform these steps when you first open your document, and then you do not have to worry about them again while writing your paper. Because these are general aspects of paper formatting, they apply to all APA Style papers, student or professional. Students should always check with their assigning instructor or institution for specific guidelines for their papers, which may be different than or in addition to APA Style guidelines.
Seventh edition APA Style was designed with modern word-processing programs in mind. Most default settings in programs such as Academic Writer, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs already comply with APA Style. This means that, for most paper elements, you do not have to make any changes to the default settings of your word-processing program. However, you may need to make a few adjustments before you begin writing.
Use 1-in. margins on all sides of the page (top, bottom, left, and right). This is usually how papers are automatically set.
Use a legible font. The default font of your word-processing program is acceptable. Many sans serif and serif fonts can be used in APA Style, including 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia. You can also use other fonts described on the font page of the website.
Double-space the entire paper including the title page, block quotations, and the reference list. This is something you usually must set using the paragraph function of your word-processing program. But once you do, you will not have to change the spacing for the entirety of your paper–just double-space everything. Do not add blank lines before or after headings. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs. For paper sections with different line spacing, see the line spacing page.
Align all paragraphs of text in the body of your paper to the left margin. Leave the right margin ragged. Do not use full justification. Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5-in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. For paper sections with different alignment and indentation, see the paragraph alignment and indentation page.
Put a page number in the top right of every page header , including the title page, starting with page number 1. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word-processing program to insert the page number in the top right corner; do not type the page numbers manually. The page number is the same font and font size as the text of your paper. Student papers do not require a running head on any page, unless specifically requested by the instructor.
Title page elements.
APA Style has two title page formats: student and professional (for details, see title page setup ). Unless instructed otherwise, students should use the student title page format and include the following elements, in the order listed, on the title page:
The format for the byline depends on whether the paper has one author, two authors, or three or more authors.
Students have an academic affiliation, which identities where they studied when the paper was written. Because students working together on a paper are usually in the same class, they will have one shared affiliation. The affiliation consists of the name of the department and the name of the college or university, separated by a comma (e.g., Department of Psychology, George Mason University). The department is that of the course to which the paper is being submitted, which may be different than the department of the student’s major. Do not include the location unless it is part of the institution’s name.
Write the course number and name and the instructor name as shown on institutional materials (e.g., the syllabus). The course number and name are often separated by a colon (e.g., PST-4510: History and Systems Psychology). Write the assignment due date in the month, date, and year format used in your country (e.g., Sept. 10, 2020).
Double-space the whole title page. Place the paper title three or four lines down from the top of the page. Add an extra double-spaced blank like between the paper title and the byline. Then, list the other title page elements on separate lines, without extra lines in between.
Center all title page elements (except the right-aligned page number in the header).
Write the title page using the same font and font size as the rest of your paper. Bold the paper title. Use standard font (i.e., no bold, no italics) for all other title page elements.
Repeat the paper title at the top of the first page of text. Begin the paper with an introduction to provide background on the topic, cite related studies, and contextualize the paper. Use descriptive headings to identify other sections as needed (e.g., Method, Results, Discussion for quantitative research papers). Sections and headings vary depending on the paper type and its complexity. Text can include tables and figures, block quotations, headings, and footnotes.
Double-space all text, including headings and section labels, paragraphs of text, and block quotations.
Center the paper title on the first line of the text. Indent the first line of all paragraphs 0.5-in.
Left-align the text. Leave the right margin ragged.
Indent the whole block quotation 0.5-in. from the left margin. Double-space the block quotation, the same as other body text. Find more information on the quotations page.
Use the same font throughout the entire paper. Write body text in standard (nonbold, nonitalic) font. Bold only headings and section labels. Use italics sparingly, for instance, to highlight a key term on first use (for more information, see the italics page).
For detailed guidance on formatting headings, including headings in the introduction of a paper, see the headings page and the headings in sample papers .
Tables and figures are only included in student papers if needed for the assignment. Tables and figures share the same elements and layout. See the website for sample tables and sample figures .
Tables include the following four elements:
Figures include the following four elements:
Double-space the table number and title. Single-, 1.5-, or double-space the table body (adjust as needed for readability). Double-space the table note.
Double-space the figure number and title. The default settings for spacing in figure images is usually acceptable (but adjust the spacing as needed for readability). Double-space the figure note.
Left-align the table number and title. Center column headings. Left-align the table itself and left-align the leftmost (stub) column. Center data in the table body if it is short or left-align the data if it is long. Left-align the table note.
Left-align the figure number and title. Left-align the whole figure image. The default alignment of the program in which you created your figure is usually acceptable for axis titles and data labels. Left-align the figure note.
Bold the table number. Italicize the table title. Use the same font and font size in the table body as the text of your paper. Italicize the word “Note” at the start of the table note. Write the note in the same font and font size as the text of your paper.
Bold the figure number. Italicize the figure title. Use a sans serif font (e.g., Calibri, Arial) in the figure image in a size between 8 to 14 points. Italicize the word “Note” at the start of the figure note. Write the note in the same font and font size as the text of your paper.
There are two options for the placement of tables and figures in an APA Style paper. The first option is to place all tables and figures on separate pages after the reference list. The second option is to embed each table and figure within the text after its first callout. This guide describes options for the placement of tables and figures embedded in the text. If your instructor requires tables and figures to be placed at the end of the paper, see the table and figure guidelines and the sample professional paper .
Call out (mention) the table or figure in the text before embedding it (e.g., write “see Figure 1” or “Table 1 presents”). You can place the table or figure after the callout either at the bottom of the page, at the top of the next page, or by itself on the next page. Avoid placing tables and figures in the middle of the page.
Include a callout to the table or figure in the text before that table or figure. Add a blank double-spaced line between the text and the table or figure at the bottom of the page.
Include a callout to the table in the text on the previous page before that table or figure. The table or figure then appears at the top of the next page. Add a blank double-spaced line between the end of the table or figure and the text that follows.
Embed long tables or large figures on their own page if needed. The text continues on the next page.
Reference list elements.
The reference list consists of the “References” section label and the alphabetical list of references. View reference examples on the APA Style website. Consult Chapter 10 in both the Concise Guide and Publication Manual for even more examples.
Start the reference list at the top of a new page after the text. Double-space the entire reference list (both within and between entries).
Center the “References” label. Apply a hanging indent of 0.5-in. to all reference list entries. Create the hanging indent using your word-processing program; do not manually hit the enter and tab keys.
Bold the “References” label at the top of the first page of references. Use italics within reference list entries on either the title (e.g., webpages, books, reports) or on the source (e.g., journal articles, edited book chapters).
Check page order.
Undergraduate student resources
Different style guides have different rules regarding the formatting of headings and subheadings in a paper, but what information you should actually put into your subheadings is a different question and often up to personal taste. Here we quickly summarize general guidelines, different approaches, and what not to do when choosing headings for a research paper.
The main sections of a research paper have general headers and are often journal-specific, but some (e.g., the methods and discussion section) can really benefit from subsections with clear and informative headers. The things to keep in mind are thus the general style your paper is supposed to follow (e.g., APA, MLA), the specific guidelines the journal you want to submit to lists in their author instructions , and your personal style (e.g., how much information you want the reader to get from just reading your subsection headers).
Headers identify the content within the different sections of your paper and should be as descriptive and concise as possible. That is why the main sections of research articles always have the same or very similar headers ( Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion ), with no or only small differences between journals. However, you also need to divide the content of some of these sections (e.g., the method section) into smaller subsections (e.g., Participants, Experimental Design, and Statistical Analysis ), and make sure you follow specific journal formatting styles when doing so.
If the journal you submit to follows APA style , for example, you are allowed to use up to five levels of headings, depending on the length of your paper, the complexity of your work, and your personal preference. To clearly indicate how each subsection fits into the rest of the text, every header level has a different format – but note that headers are usually not numbered because the different formatting already reflects the text hierarchy.
Level 1 Centered, Bold, Title Case
Text begins as a new paragraph.
Level 2 Left-aligned, Bold, Title Case
Level 3 Left-aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case
Level 4 Indented, Bold, Title Case, Period . Text begins on the same
line and continues as a regular paragraph.
Level 5 Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Period. Text begins on the
same line and continues as a regular paragraph.
If you only need one section header (e.g. Methods ) and one level of subsection headers (e.g., Participants, Experimental Design, and Statistical Analysis ), use Level 1 and Level 2 headers. If you need three levels of headings, use Levels 1, 2, and 3 (and so on). Do not skip levels or combine them in a different way.
If you write a paper in Chicago style or MLA style , then you don’t need to follow such exact rules for headings and subheadings. Your structure just has to be consistent with the general formatting guidelines of both styles (12-pts Times New Roman font, double-spaced text, 0.5-inch indentation for every new paragraph) and consistent throughout your paper. Make sure the different formatting levels indicate a hierarchy (e.g., boldface for level 1 and italics for level 2, or a larger font size for level 1 and smaller font size for level 2). The main specifics regarding Chicago and MLA headings and subheadings are that they should be written in title case (major words capitalized, most minor words lowercase) and not end in a period. Both styles allow you, however, to number your sections and subsections, for example with an Arabic number and a period, followed by a space and then the section name.
1. Introduction
2. Material and Methods
2.1 Subject Recruitment
2.2 Experimental Procedure
2.3 Statistical Analysis
3.1 Experiment 1
3.2 Experiment 2
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Your paper obviously needs to contain the main sections ( Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and maybe Conclusion ) and you need to make sure that you name them according to the target journal style (have a look at the author guidelines if you are unsure what the journal style is). The differences between journals are subtle, but some want you to combine the results and discussion sections, for example, while others don’t want you to have a separate conclusion section. You also need to check whether the target journal has specific rules on subsections (or no subsections) within these main sections. The introduction section should usually not be subdivided (but some journals do not mind), while the method section, for example, always needs to have clear subsections.
The method section subheadings should be short and descriptive, but how you subdivide this section depends on the structure you choose to present your work – which can be chronological (e.g., Experiment 1, Experiment 2 ) or follow your main topics (e.g., Visual Experiment, Behavioral Experiment, Questionnaire ). Have a look at this article on how to write the methods for a research paper if you need input on what the best structure for your work is. The method subheadings should only be keywords that tell the reader what information is following, not summaries or conclusions. That means that “ Subject Recruitment ” is a good methods section subheading, but “ Subjects Were Screened Using Questionnaires ” is not.
The subheadings for the result section should then follow the general structure of your method section, but here you can choose what information you want to put in every subheading. Some authors keep it simple and just subdivide their result section into experiments or measures like the method section, but others use the headings to summarize their findings so that the reader is prepared for the details that follow. You could, for example, simply name your subsections “ Anxiety Levels ” and “ Social Behavior ,” if those are the measures you studied and explained in the method section.
Or, you could provide the reader with a glimpse into the results of the analyses you are going to describe, and instead name these subsections “ Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Mutant Mice ” and “ Normal Social Behaviors in Mutant Mice .” While keeping headings short and simple is always a good idea, such mini-summaries can make your result section much clearer and easier to follow. Just make sure that the target journal you want to submit to does not have a rule against that.
Subheadings are not sentences.
If your heading reads like a full sentence, then you can most probably omit the verb or generally rephrase to shorten it. That also means a heading should not contain punctuation except maybe colons or question marks – definitely don’t put a period at the end, except when you have reached heading level 4 in the APA formatting style (see above) and the rules say so.
Always check your numbering, for example for spaces and periods before and after numbers (e.g., 3.2. vs 3.2 ), because readability depends on such features. But also make sure that your headings are consistent in structure and content: Switching between short keyword headings (e.g., “ Experiment 2 ”) and summary headings (e.g., “ Mice Do not Recognize People ”) is confusing and never a good idea. Ideally, subheadings within a section all have a similar structure. If your first subsection is called “ Mice Do not Recognize People ,” then “ People Do not Recognize Mice” is a better subheader for the next subsection than “Do People Recognize Mice? ”, because consistency is more important in a research paper than creativity.
Not every paragraph or every argument needs a subheading. Only use subheadings within a bigger section if you have more than one point to make per heading level, and if subdividing the section really makes the structure clearer overall.
Before submitting your journal manuscript to academic publishers, be sure to get English editing services , including manuscript editing or paper editing from a trusted source. And receive instant proofreading and paraphrasing with Wordvice AI, our AI online text editor , which provides unlimited editing while drafting your research work.
Crafting an effective college assignment heading is key to making a strong first impression on professors. The title serves as the face of your paper and reflects your focus on precision and adherence to academic standards. Curious about how to create a proper title? This guide provides clear instructions on creating an impressive college paper heading, guiding you to comprehend what a header in writing is, and the appropriate way to format it. By applying these tips and guidelines, be confident your prep aligns with the required scholarly standards.
A well-organized college assignment heading is crucial for clearly identifying your assignment and presenting it professionally. Adhering to the basic rules will help you craft a carefully designed title:
A well-crafted essay title guarantees your assignment recognition for clarity and compliance with academic standards, paving the way for successful submission.
Understanding what is a heading in an essay and grasping how to head a paper correctly are foundational skills in scholarly writing. A proper essay header normally contains the instructor’s and student’s details, the course code or title, the current date, and the prep’s title. Most colleges follow APA, MLA, or Chicago-style guidelines, so familiarize yourself with these standards. Your header needs to be aligned correctly and placed where it doesn’t interfere with your work’s content. Adhering to these guidelines ensures your college paper heading is both succinct and polished.
Following these guidelines guarantees your heading format meets academic expectations:
Adhering to these rules will give your composition a polished look. This simplifies it for the lecturer to move through your composition.
A skillfully designed paper heading gives your assignment a sophisticated look and helps to clearly organize the essentials for your readers. It signals to your lecturer that you have carefully followed educational standards and put thought into every aspect of your project. In addition, a proper heading for an essay guarantees that all relevant data is easily accessible. That’s specifically useful in larger classes where preps are handled by multiple lecturers or TAs. By concentrating on a succinct and accurate essay heading, you set a strong foundation for the rest of your home tasks.
Refining your college paper heading is vital to guarantee it meets academic criteria and effectively represents your paper. By carefully focusing on the particulars, you can elevate the expertise and coherence of your home assignment. See some practical tips to consider:
By applying these suggestions, you can develop an assignment title that fulfills academic standards and improves the overall appearance of your prep.
A well-formatted college paper heading is a minor but vital part of academic composition. From understanding what a title is to mastering how to head a text, focusing on these details can make a notable difference in the overall presentation of your composition. Always stick to the fundamental formatting standards and each time confirm that you follow the heading format specified by your educational institution's guidelines. To further enhance your writing, consider utilizing our tools at AI Essay Detector and College Essay Generator to help you create outstanding essays with ease.
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Published on December 22, 2015 by Sarah Vinz . Revised on July 23, 2023.
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The three heading capitalization styles, capitalize proper nouns (names) no matter what, consistency, consistency, consistency, other interesting articles.
First, you can capitalize every significant word.
Option 1: All significant words capitalized |
---|
Chapter 3 Literature Review |
Section 3.1 History of Coffee Drinking |
Section 3.2 Emerging Coffee Markets in North America Section 3.2.1 High School and College Students Section 3.2.2 Commuting Workers |
Section 3.3 Competitors in the Hot Beverage Sector |
The list of what is considered significant is quite long; it generally includes all nouns , pronouns , adjectives , verbs , and adverbs .
You may find it easier to instead focus on what usually isn’t considered significant (and thus not capitalized, unless it happens to be the first word in a heading): articles (a, an, the), prepositions (examples: by, for, in), conjunctions (examples: and, or, because).
Option 2: Only first words capitalized |
---|
Chapter 3 Literature review |
Section 3.1 A history of coffee drinking |
Section 3.2 Emerging coffee markets in North America Section 3.2.1 High school and college students Section 3.2.2 Commuting workers |
Section 3.3 Competitors in the hot beverage sector |
Finally, the third possibility is to use a combination of the other two options. For instance, you could use option 1 for the chapter headings and option 2 for lower level headings.
Option 3: Capitalization varies by level |
---|
Chapter 3 Literature Review |
Section 3.1 A history of coffee drinking |
Section 3.2 Emerging coffee markets in North America Section 3.2.1 High school and college students Section 3.2.2 Commuting workers |
Section 3.3 Competitors in the hot beverage sector |
Formal names of people, organizations, and places are capitalized no matter what style you use. For instance, North America is capitalized throughout the above examples.
In this regard, note that specific models, theories, and schools of thoughts are not considered proper nouns. The only component that needs to be capitalized is the scholar’s name, when relevant.
Porter’s Five Forces Model Einstein’s Theory of Relativity the Realist school | Porter’s five forces model Einstein’s theory of relativity the realist school |
Which option should you choose? If you are following the APA style , the rules are clear. Essentially, you should use title case for APA headings level 1 to 5. MLA also has specific requirements for formatting headings .
If you are free to decide, we recommend option 1 or 2. Why? One reason is that it’s easier, you just won’t have to make so many judgment calls about what to capitalize. A second is that using a lot of capital letters may make the text difficult to follow, especially in longer headings.
Whatever option you choose, the most important thing is to use effective headings that are capitalized consistently throughout your entire document. This applies not only to the main chapters of your dissertation, but also to any supporting materials that come before and after (including the abstract, table of contents, lists of tables/figures, acknowledgements, reference list, and appendixes ).
To make sure that no inconsistencies have snuck through, take a very careful look at your table of contents . Seeing all of the headings together will make any anomalies very apparent. This is especially true if you have used Microsoft Word to automatically generate this list.
Also take care that other aspects of your dissertation layout and formatting are consistent in relation to headings.
If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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Vinz, S. (2023, July 23). Capitalization in Titles and Headings. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/capitalization-titles-headings/
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Use only the number of headings necessary to differentiate distinct sections in your paper; short student papers may not require any headings. Furthermore, avoid these common errors related to headings: Avoid having only one subsection heading within a section, just like in an outline. Do not label headings with numbers or letters.
The goal of using headings in a document is not only to divide information, but also to allow easy navigation of the document. In academic writing, headings help readers find the specific information they want while retaining a sense of how that information fits with everything else in the document.
Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section. is about and allow for easy navigation of the document. APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently. Note: Title case simply means that you should capitalize the first word, words with four or more letters, and all ...
Wondering whether to use headings and subheadings in your essay or academic papers? Here is a guide to help you craft the best headings and subheadings.
The paper or chapter title is the first level of heading, and it must be the most prominent. Headings should be styled in descending order of prominence. After the first level, the other headings are subheadings—that is, they are subordinate. Font styling and size are used to signal prominence. In general, a boldface, larger font indicates ...
About using headings Most students who have just completed secondary studies come to university with the firm belief that you should not use headings in essay writing. The use of headings in formal writing was once restricted to business style writing, such as report writing. However, in more recent times, headings are often used in formal academic writing such as books and journals. Also ...
Wondering how, when, where, and why to use subheadings and headings in an essay, research writing, and academic papers? We have all answers in this article.
Writers no longer have to sift through the APA Publication Manual just to determine whether their headings should be in title case or in sentence case, bolded or nonbolded, or double-spaced or single-spaced. Current APA Style guidelines advise writers to use title case, boldface, and double-space for all headings.
Headings - APA Style 7th Edition - Research Guides at University of Northern Colorado. 5 Levels of Headings. Heading.Level. Heading.Format. 1. Centered, Bold, Title Case. Paragraph begins here, on the line after the heading. This example is singled spaced, but should be double-spaced as all text in the paper. 2.
Headings are signposts that help you structure longer pieces of writing and allow the reader easily navigate their way around a document. The type of headings used will depend on the format of your writing: for example, a case study will have different headings to a report. Make sure that: the wording of the headings and sub-headings is alike.
In this step-by-step guide, learn how to brainstorm and structure your personal statement for your college essay.
Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document. The levels are organized by levels of subordination, and each section of the paper should start with the highest level of heading. There are 5 heading levels in APA. Regardless of the number of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with level 1.
Titles lead to your reader's first impression of your essay, and the headings help organize your thoughts and make the essay easier to read. Let's take a look at how you can turn your titles from an afterthought into a well-thought-out writing element.
Headings divide the body of your paper up into smaller, more manageable sections for your reader. Headings are usually only necessary for longer papers--confirm with your instructor if they want you to use headings. Although there are 5 levels of headings, you might only need to use 2 or 3 levels, depending on length and especially complexity of the paper.
Learn how to format headings, tables and figures in APA Style 7th edition with this resource guide from St. Catherine University Library.
Learn how to format headings in APA style (6th edition) with examples and tips. This guide covers the five levels of heading styles and when to use them.
Student Paper Setup Guide This guide will help you set up an APA Style student paper. The basic setup directions apply to the entire paper. Annotated diagrams illustrate how to set up the major sections of a student paper: the title page or cover page, the text, tables and figures, and the reference list.
If you have a longer paper, you may want to divide it into sections and subsections to make it easier to read. Each section and subsection will need a heading, or what Chicago style calls a "subheading" or "subhead." This guide helps you to format these headings and gives some tips and guidelines for using sections and subsections in your paper.
Learn how to create MLA format headings and headers, and the difference between them, with examples of correct formatting.
The start of the semester is the perfect time to learn how to create and format APA Style student papers. This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections ...
Different style guides have different rules regarding the formatting of headings and subheadings in a paper, but what information you should actually put into your subheadings is a different question and often up to personal taste. Here we quickly summarize general guidelines, different approaches, and what not to do when choosing headings for a research paper.
Understanding what is a heading in an essay and grasping how to head a paper correctly are foundational skills in scholarly writing. A proper essay header normally contains the instructor's and student's details, the course code or title, the current date, and the prep's title. Most colleges follow APA, MLA, or Chicago-style guidelines ...
Here's what your essay title should include. One or more relevant keywords to your subject. Any other necessary words or phrases that tell the reader what to expect from your essay. When applicable, a catchy phrase or figurative language. Let's take another look at the example essay titles from the section above.
Capitalization in Titles and Headings. Published on December 22, 2015 by Sarah Vinz. Revised on July 23, 2023. There are three main options for capitalizing chapter and section headings within your dissertation: capitalizing all significant words, capitalizing only the first word, and a combination of the two.